Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1887-04-22
To be continued
"N0-MAS'S LAND"
A Neutral Strip On the the Border to be Turn
ed Into Cimmaron Territory
Or To,,fc tnba

A Neutral strip on the the Border to be Turn
ed Into Cimmaron Territory.
St Louis Globe Democrat
'No Mans Land" as it is designated
upon some of the official maps, is the
only portion of the territory of the Unit
ed States which is absolutely without law.
The 5000 squatters now living on the
Neutral Strip" propose to organize a
government there and to call the new
territory "Cimmaron." This body of
land lies west of the Indian Territory,
and its shape, as it appears on the map,
shows that the term strip is well applied.
It has q width of BIZ miles between the
northern boundary of Texas and the
the southern boundaries Of Kansas aud
Colorado, and reaches westward 167 miles
to the eastern line of New Mexico. ssNo-
Mans Land" looks Insignificant ON the
map as 1T lies with such States as Texas,
Kansas or Colorado for neiehbors. If
located on the Atlantic coast its dimen-
sions would appear quite respectable be-
side some of the Eastern States.
The history of the strip is interesting.
In 1903 the United States bought from
France for SIS 100000 Louisiana Terri
tory. That was the country west of the
Mississippi river from the Gulf to the
British possessions including the present
States of Louisiana, Arkansas, that part
of Kansas and Colorado north of the Ar
kansas river only, and the Indian Terri
tory.west to the Tooth meridian. Mexico
and Spain claimed all west of the Tooth
meridian and south of the Arkansas. In
1888 the Indian Territory was organized
and set apart forthe Indiaxs, under treat
les made with them, In 1845 Texas 'set
up for herself" as free and indepen.
dent republic, anG then came under the
protection of the United States, The
war with Mexico followed, and resulted
in the extension of the territory of the
United States west of the Tooth meridian
and south of the Arkansas. Texas as a
State only claimed the northern bound
airy OF the Panhandle on the parallel Of
SO 80 min. In 1850 the Kansas and
Nebraska bill passed Congress and as
first framed made SO 80 min. the South
ern boundary of Kansas; but Stephen A.
Douglas, then in the House, called atten-
ton to the treaty with the Cherokees of
1888 which gave them strip of land
along the south side of the 9th parallel,
and running from the Missouri line to
the Tooth meridian.
1t may be as we'll to say that the reason
for setting apart this strip was to give
the Indians a route westward to the
buffalo hunting grounds of Colorado and
the Northwest. This strip is still called
"the outlet AS stated it extended to
the Tooth meridian. So parallel 81 was
made the southern boundary of Kansas.
and when the Tooth meridian was reached
the boundary was continued on the same
parallel westward. Thus ''the Cherokee
outlet" was Dprsserved, and there
was also left west of it con-
tinuation of it, or another strip,
between Kansas and Texas, and this
second piece was given the name of "The
Neutral Strip" or mo Mans Land"
New Mexico and Colorado were afterward
formed with square corners, and thus
"The Neutral Strip" was left with fully
defined boundaries, but entirely out in
the cold so far as the lays of the United
are concerned,
SO long as the Great American Desert
held its place on the map and the tradi-
ton of its utter worthlessness prevailed
'NoMan Lana" was well named The
Indians and the wild game had undisput-
ed and unreserved possession. When
suddenly the Southwestern Country
and then dollars, they were put IN rival
claims to this bit of property 1877 miles
long. Congress has never been able to
decide between the claimants, and so the
strip has remained undisposed of TO this
day. A few days ago an agent of the
general land Office went down into that
country to investigate and report. He
came back with the information that the
cattle barons had taken possession, divid-
ed up the country, and were pasturing
their herds upon the land. There were
no fences, he reported, but he could
always tell when he crossed from one
claim to another, for he found the lines
marked by posts, on which were printed
playcards bearing the following: "Take
notice Any-of a--caught tres
passing on this land will be dealt with by
Judge Lynch. By order Of"